The pillar that supports me
by SniperR
Summary: Summary: what would Reno do without his letters? Chapter 3 up.
1. Toenails, letters and marriage babies i

**The pillar that supports me**

Summary: what would Reno do without his letters?

A/N: Yes, what would Reno do without them? This is a more humorous (hopefully) fic centered around Reno which will progress into a more serious theme. I'm planning to turn this into something of a self-discovery fic later on, y'know how they say that loneliness and solitude can teach you so much about yourself and how people are afraid of it, blah blah blah. Again, inspired by (of all things) an internet forward:D And, this is rare, I intend to make this into a longer, multi-chaptered fic, so this one WILL be updated, but maybe not too soon because of school, grad, trips and martial arts (no lies!). Anyway, read on!

Oh, and sorry for the short introductory chapter. I think I'm going to lengthen the chapters later on. Have most of this planned out anyway :)

Title: The pillar that supports me

Author: SniperR

_Chapter 1: Toenails, letters and marriage (babies included! Great deal!) _

It's funny how such an insignificant piece of paper can bring such joy.

Well, it's not the paper that makes me happy, it's the words _written_ on the paper. The words of a true friend who just writes to write and know how you are, not any of that fake wishy –washy crap you see a lot on TV.

Yeah, I guess I could say I really like his letters. But it's been like this since we came up with the idea, and I suppose we came up with it in a funny way too. I remember us getting drunk off our asses and promising to write to each other because we were worried we'd somehow end up loosing our toes (don't ask, please, just … don't ask). Funny, I don't remember much of anything after that, but boy was I surprised when I came to my hotel room in the middle of a four-week assignment to find a letter had been unceremoniously stuffed under my door.

Still, it made me feel supported to know that a fellow Turk who understood my problems and such would show that kind of support when I was that far away. After all, you can't really know _what_ it's like to be a Turk unless you are one. It's just one of those things that can't be explained, ya know? It's like… trying to explain to someone over the phone how to tie a knot, it just _can't_ be done.

Well, this is what he wrote back to me. Oh yeah, might as well say that I'm on this assignment to the north crater. After Kadaj and his gang disappeared, Rufus wanted to make absolutely sure there where no traces of Jenova or Sephiroth left. Why didn't he just nuke the place? I dunno, might have been simpler… Oh yeah, radiation and junk.

Ahem.

_Hey Reno. _

_When are you coming back? The place is way too lonely without you. I asked Tseng earlier if it was really necessary for you to stay there that long, but he said no. Watch yourself, I think they might have sent you up there as bait in case something remained. _

Well, duh.

_By the way, I found out why Elena had to take a vacation. Turns out she's having a baby. Shocking? _

WTF!

_Well there's more. Her and Tsung are getting married. I know what you're thinking, and I also thought it was against regulations. Seems Rufus was willing to make an exception because Tsung's our leader. He called it "modernization". I call it favoritism. Well, I'm happy for them nonetheless. What about you?_

_Write back, _

_Rude_

_P.S. How are you? _

Holy chocobo-shit! They're getting married? Elena's pregnant! Man, I can just picture her at nine months too, what a time to have a camera, hehe. She's gonna kill me.

That's just like Rude to leave the usual first line for last. Must have forgotten about it again. I don't mind. I'd rather have a nice, short, to the point letter like his than a long, drawn out fake letter.

Anyway, I look at the clock and remember I'm supposed to go check the Mako readings in the crater again for suspicious variations. I'll have to do this at least another 56 times in the next too weeks. Man, it gets lonely up here by yourself. That's why I like his letters so much I guess. Believe me, a game boy can only keep you entertained for so long. Besides that there's only killing monsters, watching the puffs of smoke, watch satellite TV (horrible reception), sleep, eat and jack off. Ok, ok, so the latter isn't _really_ a pastime… But when you're bored-

Suddenly, there's a crash that rocks the entire chopper. I know this thing in made to withstand punishment, but come on!

Dammit! Those stupid monsters are back! Why the hell did Tsung send me here _alone?_ I swear he's got it in for me or something… why else would he risk a member of his party just for some damned readings? It was probably Rufus' choice anyway, the guy's been looking at me weirdly lately.

Whatever, time to go outside and kick some ass.

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Go me :)

I think I would be crazy too; alone for two whole weeks! ;) Oh boy, starting to look something like a diary too… ugh.

Review please, they make authors _like me_ (wink, wink) very happy.


	2. Chocobo, chimes and chalk?

Finally, another chapter. Now that grad is over, I might have time to write! XD**

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**The pillar that supports me**

_Chapter 2: Chocobo, chalk and chimes_

_Author: SniperR_

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_Ding._

_Ding._

_Ding._

I sit up, groaning. My head is killing me…

"Uhhhh…" A hangover is better than this... Did I drink too much? No, no alcohol in the chopper. Did I eat anything unusual? No, nothing potentially lethal since Rude's cooking. I didn't get hit while defending the chopper either, so what-

_Ding. Scratch scratch._

_Bang!_

I'm suddenly flat on my back again, staring at my potential attacker.

A hanging overhead pipe. Lovely.

"You sonofabitch." I spit at it, half expecting it to answer back. Actually, I wished it would have, then I wouldn't feel so lonely. Me? Lonely? Wow.

Now, what was I doing before I was assaulted by an inanimate object?

_Ding._

What the ?

_Ding._

_Scratch, scratch._

Scratching ? Oh no, the monsters are back! I pick up my EMR reflexively and jump for the door, using years of training to open the door mid-flight so to jump directly into the brawl (Oh yeah! I love this macho cool fighting stuff!) …

…only, the door doesn't open. I crash into it, my face becoming one with the door's reinforced steel bracing.

Oh frick, I think I broke my nose!

I fall back moaning, the warm blood streaming through my fingers and onto my nice white shirt. I liked this shirt too!

_Scratch scratch._

"What the hell do you want!" I yell at the door. I almost take a heart attack as the door answers back.

"Wark!"

I sit there dumbfounded, looking at the strange talking door. Its gotta be the fumes, I swear, the Mako here is spiked. I mean, if Loz, Yazoo and Kadaj could have supposedly come to life in this disturbing crater imagine what it would do to me! I haven't actually seen anything _living_ here since that chocobo…

Oh yeah, maybe I should mention HOW I get mail here. You see, Shinra has these specially trained chocobos which can deliver mail! It's actually the only way to get here besides the chopper.

Wait a sec, chocobo! That's it!

I sit up and throw the door open to come face to face with a nice, albino chocobo.

Albino. Hm, Hojo must be getting bored again. Last time he got bored was many, many years ago. I don't know exactly what happened, but all I know is that it involved the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim and some Turk that suddenly went missing. I don't even wanna know. Makes me wonder about my job sometimes. Well, that and the fact that I think the president is out to kill me.

"What are you doing here fella?"

I'm talking to a Chocobo. And I call myself sane? Maybe if I hadn't forgotten my cell phone I wouldn't be in this mess.

"Come in while I write something for you to deliver." The Chocobo doesn't budge and I fear it might leave before I get the letter written. I can't let that happen, not with Rude being secretly sensitive about these things. I mean, he demands this kind of commitment over everything! That reminds me of the time I broke his glasses and hid them. Somehow he found out it was me… but anyway, he didn't talk to me the entire week. Worst week of my life.

So, I rush into the chopper, get a piece of paper and a pen and start writing.

_Yo Rude, sup? _

Hehe, signature line. I can't remember where I got _yo_ from though.

_Thanks for the letter man, I mean it. You can't imagine how freaking lonely it is up here. Feels like I'm going insane, can't imagine how I'm going to survive the next two weeks. I swear on my paycheck I'm loosing my mind. Do you know how lonely it is up here… ALONE? I tried talking to the chocobo-carrier, but all the thing ever said was "Wark!" At first I though it was the door talking. Oh yeah, broke my nose too, so sorry about the bloody letter. _

Yup, I'm definitely insane.

_So how the hell did Elena get pregnant? Was it Tsung? When the hell's the wedding? I need details! And yeah, I'm happy for them too, even though you know how I felt about Elly… she doesn't need to know. _

_So, what else is there to say? Oh yeah, I almost forgot…_

_Did you find your sunglasses yet?_

I smirk to myself. He never did think to look under his mattress. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't have put theme there… Oh well, he has many anyway, so I don't think he'll particularly mind. They where his favorites though… Great. Now I feel guilty.

_Now, what else? Ah yes, can you do me this huge favor? I promised Tsung I'd get the Wutai report done while I was up here, but I forgot my paper on my desk. Could you send them to me with your next letter? Thanks in advance for saving my job! _

Hm, what else?

_Could you also ask that over-work-giving boss of ours if it's really necessary for me to be up here an entire two weeks? I can't stand the loneliness and the monsters are beginning to get on little-old me's nerves. Of course, you don't have to tell him about the over-work-giving boss thing, that can be our secret! Remember, the chalk is watching!_

_Oh man, maybe I should edit some of the things I wrote, it looks like a bad reminder of a brainstorming session in English class… But what the hell! You're gonna _love_ me either way, no matter what I write! Right? Right! Great, my paranoia's dropped in for a visit again. Sorry to sound so desperate, but I need to hear your voice, so send a cell phone with your next letter as well. Help me man, I'm desperate. _

_And yeah, I'm fine, apart from the sanity issues and molesting inanimate objects. _

_Write back, _

_Reno_

There! Not professional or anything, but it will do. I fold it neatly (the one thing I can do right, apparently because that's what I did before I was a Turk) and place it in a water resistant envelope (cool or what!) and place it in the pack on the chocobo's back. The little guy scurries off and I lose sight of him because of his color. I guess that's ONE of Hojo's experiments that bites the dust. Must inquire about the missing Turk… that's piqued my curiosity.

Will wonders ever cease!

I close the door of the chopper behind me, and, in my apparent distraction, I forget about the hanging overhead pipe and, well, let's just say I have a startling reminder of what it's like to be too tall for the door.

I crumbled to the ground, loud curses emanating from my mouth. Dammit that hurt! Hey, at least I don't have to listen to Tsung telling me to stop swearing! Nice!

Now what the hell was that chiming about?

The readings. I have to walk to the bottom of that massif crater just to get a number. Again. Lovely. There are _so_ many things I'd rather be doing right now...

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No, Reno is not gay :)

Read and review, please.


	3. Title's too long! lol

A/N: Weeeeeel, I managed to finish another chapter XD ! (throws confetti) Now that grad is over, martial arts classes are cut back to the summer term and nothing but studying left to do in school I might actually get to update a little quicker than usual. I usually only write when I'm hyper, but this chapter was written and edited when I was calm and relaxed because I wanted this one to be a little more serious. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: Of blackmail, rotting bayous and just a _bit_ of insanity.  
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**Author: SniperR**

I stare at the monitor at the bottom of the crater far from the safety of my chopper hundreds of miles away from my home and friends in the middle of the most desolate place on earth.

Oh yeah, I'm pissed off.

It would be so much _simpler_ to set up a monitor down here to check for anything that might crawl out of the depths of that Mako light. But no, they have to send _me_ into the depths of this fume-filled ditch just to get a number. I swear the mako is so damn thick here it could make you high. Speaking of high, now I understand why Tsung told me to wear a gas mask. So why am I now wearing said gas mask? Don't feel like it… It itches…. It smells funny... Mighta stepped on it by mistake too, 'twas pretty dark last night…

Oy, that thing cost a lot of money too. Better to just unceremoniously bury the thing… My pension needs saving.

Funny, I can't help getting that odd impression that I'm being replaced… Maybe it has something to do with my circumstances.

Alone.

Middle of nowhere.

Dangerous, radioactive, narcotic, high-inducing death trap.

Little supplies.

Oh yeah, the prez has got it out for me. Must remind myself to remind him that I have that picture of him snogging a moogle doll and mumbling "Wait Freddy, the sheets aren't ready yet."

Back to the task at hand: the damn little block just beeps annoyingly, blissfully unaware that I'm ready to acquaint it with my EMR. Although that _also_ cost a lot of money, and I'm not quite ready to see my pension disappear completely, so I calm my anger and jot down the number that appears: 3-25-5-34-91-1.

Total gibberish to anyone who doesn't know how to read the code, myself included. I also have the feeling that the reason no one told me HOW to read the code is mainly because if I did, I might be able to deduce the time when something interesting DOES happen and also happens to be very dangerous to me. Like say, a Bahamut appearing out of nowhere, Sephiroth having MORE clones or Sephiroth himself magically coming back to life. Oh yeah, I definitely want to come face to face with an evil general sporting an eleven foot long sharp as hell Japanese Katana.

Not.

I certainly don't want to meet anything that crawls out of that bayou, that's for-

HOLY SHIT!

Something moves inside the smoke and I run like a nut. Thoughts of zombies, dancing clowns and eleven foot long sharp as hell Japanese Katanas cross by mind. I reflexively close my hand around my EMR… which isn't even there.

Oh damn, my weapon! How the hell can I defend myself without my weapon!

So I turn tail and carefully observe my surroundings before making my way towards my favorite weapon. Suddenly, this… "thing" comes out of the smoke, limping like is had a bad case of hemorrhoids. It's wearing (what looks to be) a Shinra uniform, so I figure it must have been someone who had the misfortune of falling in the Lifestream.

Sucker.

Unfortunately for poor me, the thing is directly in the path of my EMR and I try to shimmy around the officially lifeless form which tripped over its own… "feet", if you could even call it that. I can't help but glance at it and try to hide my repulsion as a shiver runs up my spine. It used to be human… just like me. Now it looks more like something from a bad horror movie. Its skin has turned grey and there are growths all over its body. Its chest had been broken open, displaying what looks to be misplaced ribs. The smell is unbelievable. I cover my nose, but it has already creeped in and I gag reflexively as I reach for my EMR.

I hear a faint ruffle and freeze, my heart rate increasing two fold. Did I just hear it move? Please, no, I hate this psychological shit!

But as I muse about my terror, something cold and lifeless grabs my shoulders. I yelp and try to push it off, but the hands are surprisingly strong. Now the smell of festering wounds return to me and I try not to gag. Reflexively, I stab my EMR backwards and hear the familiar buzzing of the electric current. The creature howl in pain, a sound I NEVER want to hear again and is disorientated long enough for me to get away.

I take another glance at it as I'm running (No I'm not chicken! You try being grabbed by a dead thing!) to see that it's started moving.

Oh gross.

It moves like a spider, the bones cracking and cartilage breaking as its unnatural movements bring it closer towards me. I hope the thing doesn't follow me to the chopper…

Of course, I have the worst luck in the world. I know it, Rude knows it, and I think the creature now knows it. Take the time I went in to Elena's room to steal her diary. She just HAD to show up some guy who was all over her. I tried to get out of the room as they where… um… busy… but as luck would have it, Rude opened the door just in time and I ended up with a bruised nose, got caught for stealing Elena's diary and was accused of being a peeping tom.

So what happens now?

In my rush to get away, I ignore my footwork and trip on this very long piece of metal. The thing doesn't even have a right to be there for heaven's sake! But, it doesn't end there (of course). I try to brace myself for the fall, but my arms don't seem to want to work and my head collides with the ground. I'm disorientated, the world around me spinning like someone cast a confusion spell on me.

A groan escapes me just before I rush to get back on my feet. I'm suddenly aware of this loud cracking sound, and something cold and heavy falls on me.

SHIT!

I struggle like a cat on a leash and zap the thing once more. I can't push it off because its way to heavy (the thing having doubled its human size) and my left arm is pinned under me. I need it, so I free it and am not even aware of the potential damage I might be doing to myself. The wonderful adrenaline is pumping way to hard anyway, so I use that to my advantage.

The last thing I wanted to know was how the sonofabitch attacks, but I'm graced with that knowledge as the thing bites me. Really hard. On the neck I might add. The side of the neck. I howl and tear at what looks to be its face, savagely tearing with my fingers and the pocked knife I managed to free from my pocket. It grunts and moves, but doesn't get up.

Crap. Shit. Damn. Fuck.

I use what martial arts Rude taught me and drive my palm into its nose. I hear a crack and the thing rolls to the side, howling once more.

I don't really know what it does next, because all I can say I remember is running to the chopper, diving in, slamming the door shut and loosing consciousness.

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I'm sorry for hurting Reno! (cries) I just had to do it, you'll see why :)

Ah yes, the creature that came out of the lifestream, it was inspired by the Ring two, just to let you know, so when Reno gets attacked, think the RING! Mwahahahah! cough Sorry.

Hehe, the thing about the sheets, it was inspired by the exact words a friend of mine mumbled in her sleep! It was really funny when our teacher/supervisor told us that in the morning, we had such a laugh!

Review please!


	4. Happy New Year!

**I'm baaaaaaack! It's been almost a year since I worked on this or wrote anything actually, so sorry if it's a little choppy Oo I ran into a nasty bout of depression there, but I'm ok now - I think I'm gonna finish this one, but I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, I hope it's within the next week, depending on what I have going on in taekwondo. Enjoy **

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_Happy New Year!_

Am I dead? No, I think if I was in heaven my neck wouldn't be hurting so bad. Uh oh, that could only mean one thing… I'm in the _other_ place!!

NO! I'm too young, good-looking and professional to be in hell! I had plans! I had dreams! I had a picture of Rufus snogging a mog!

My eyes pop open and I take in my surroundings, realizing after a few seconds that there are no flames or little red bundles of evilness brandishing pitchforks. Oh crap, I'm still alive. Yeah, I think hell would've been better than this glowing dredge. Kinda reminds me of a radioactive waste disposal site now that I think about it…

Well, time to get up! I lean up, and suddenly a loud banging echoes loudly through the chopper and I fall back to the floor with a thud. I swear that stupid pipe has it out for me! Nothing would hit me that much, not even Elena!! I stand once more, avoiding the pipe and mumble profanities as I rub the newly formed lump on my forehead which is making my goggles bulge out like some grotesque tumor.

The things I live through for my job. It's times like these I wish I would have stayed in the slums. Did I just say that?!

"What?!" I yell at myself in the shiny surface of the back of my iPod. Oh yeah, another pastime: music! I'm suddenly annoyed that my reflection is staring at me, and I can't help but glare at it.

"Glare back at me will you?!" I yell and pick up the pencil thin device and prepare to hurl it at the door. But instead of grabbing the iPod, I grab an orb of materia that serves as a source of free light.

It has to be said that I received on of the biggest scares of my life as (simultaneously) the thing squeaks (squeaks?!), the overhead pipe lets go, unceremoniously attacks me and a sudden, frantic scratching assault my ears.

That's it! THAT IS IT! Where the hell is that pipe cutter?!

_Scratch scratch scratch._

"Wark!"

Aw, the poor thing sounds scared! Oh man, that thing's out there with it too…

I go to rip the chopper door open (again, I love this macho stuff!), but my hand slips and I bang my knuckles into the iron frame.

"Goddam!" Ow, ow, ow, my poor hand… The door then unlocks (I glare at it) and I rip it open. My eyes and body are suddenly assaulted by a large, neon green truck load of feathers that frantically tries to make its way into the chopper while completely ignoring my yells of agony.

Did I mention I'm beginning to detest this mission?

It manages to scramble in despite the obvious lack of space and I struggle with the door to shut it. Then, my eyes fall on the little brown package attached to its back. It stands out greatly against the green. Green?? What's Hojo been up to now?

I sigh and reach for the package. The chocobo, obviously still startled, tries to nip my hand.

"Hey!" I start and move away as it begins to struggle. "Give that up!" This thing has to calm down or I'm going to be trampled to death. After a few moments it stops, but I can still see it's large, beady blue eyes staring at me in the same way a mouse would look at a cat.

Uh oh.

"Good boy. Give Reno the nice little box… be a good chocobo… don't claw me to death…" I reach for the package gingerly, inching slowly towards the clasps holding it in place.

I smile nervously at the chocobo who (I swear) is watching me with a bemused look on its beaky face. It looks like if it could grin at me, it would do so with great amusement.

This brilliant idea strikes me, what about reverse psychology? It works in the movies, right?

"Fine then, I don't want the box anyway." I proceed to sit with my back to the chocobo and stick my nose up as high as physically possible.

I turn around to see if it works. Nope. The thing is cleaning its feathers, all the while looking like a cat who found spilt milk…

Here's my chance!

I inch closer to the bundle of booger-green feathers, taking my dead time not to trip, fall, smack my head or get assaulted by a pipe.

Oh yeah, pipe cutter, must find it. I'm sure there's one in here somewhere.

_BANG_

CRAP!

_Wark! WARK!!_

Oh fuck. This thing that is (best description possible… I'm no descriptive artist here) about the weight of Cloud's bike, has claws like a veloca-raptor, a beak like a pick-axe and legs the length of a katana is now hurtling at me at what can only be described as the speed of a train and the only place left for me to go is outside with the thing that remind me of the girl from "The Ring 2".

Ugh.

I'm not going back out there.

Did I mention that the thing just shit on my duffle bag?

Crap my neck hurts.

"Fuck this, I'm outta here!"

I lunge for the door, fully expecting to sustain some injury from it (I thing I'm going to nickname it "the pipe's accomplice"). But this time it surprises me! Nothing assaults me…

…until I set foot outside the chopper and the "thing" decides to try and have me for a snack again.

Not this time!

I effectively execute a spinning hook kick (wicked kick XD) and snap it's neck. It falls limply to the ground. Right about now I'd be feeling pretty good about myself… until I realize that I'm right in the middle of the crater… and that this thing's siblings could very well come out and try to make a meal out of me.

But I'm not going back in there with that monstrosity of a bird which I SWEAR Hojo gave some sort of steroid too… because it's doing a number inside the chopper. I can hear things breaking. Hope that pipe was one of those unfortunate instruments. Oh crap… it might break the chopper!! Must do a test flight tomorrow… or whenever…

A spot of white catches my eye near the door. It looks like a letter.

A letter!!!

Simultaneously, I dive for the letter, the door opens and the chocobo jumps out in a panic.

How did it unlock the door?! Oh yeah… didn't lock it…

I land flat on my back and grab the letter as the chocobo unceremoniously steps on my back on the way out, and I feel my bones compress under the weight.

"FUCK!"

And if that wasn't bad enough, I turn in time to see the thing run off into the hazy mist as something slightly heavy conks me on the noggin. I swear at it angrily until I realize it's the package that was attached to the chocobo's back and then automatically swear some more. What if it would have fallen off on the way?! Goddamn Tsung… can't even clasp a package properly…

Anyways, to the letter!!

I jump into the chopper and shut the door, this time avoiding the pipe that is now hanging down miserably from the ceiling (HA!).

_Hi_

_Your welcome and you shouldn't talk to the chocobos; they might think you're crazy. Yeah, it was Tsung. That's why they're marrying. Tsung said you're gonna be up there for the timetable he gave you… maybe even longer. _

WHAT?!

_Good luck with the molesting pipe, hope it gets you good you son of a bitch, that's what you get for hiding my sunglasses._

Haha…

_Here's the cell and your papers. Hope they help. Give me a call sometime and I hope the reception reaches up there. _

Forgot about that. Damn.

_So, what does the crater look like now?_

_P.S. Sorry it's shorter than usual, I've got a doctor's appointment. _

_Happy New Year_

Doctor's appointment huh? Hope it's nothing serious or nothing. I grab the papers and sit down at my makeshift desk, plopping them next to the lamp. This is going to be a loooong few days… at least now I have something to do.

I hate this mission. Did I mention that yet?

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**Yup, I think Reno has a touch of insanity there. Review purdy please **


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